Wheel-mounting.



E. J. WESTON. la.

WHEEL MOUNTING.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 10. I916. 1,256,963. Patented Feb. 19,1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

5' INVENTOR E. L WESTON, JR.

. WHEEL MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1916. V 1,256,963. Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS--SHEET' 2.

IN VENTOR WITNESSES: 7 WM zdmifji 9 1% m R A! 3mm e ms mes;

EDWIN 'IJWESTON, JR.,-on isnnknnnmenmron vra, A$SIGNOR or ONE-TENTH a o- MORRIS ZIRKER, or sen rnA oIso oALIromvIA, AND ONE-TENTH T0. J13.

sHELTon, or WOODLAND, CALIFQBNI'A. V I

WHEEL-.MOUNTING.

espeeificatio ncf Letters Patent. Patgnted Feb. 19, 1918.

c 'lApplication filed June 10, 1916, Serialll'o. 102,882. 7

Berkeley, in the county of *Alameda and 7 State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wheel-Mountings, ofwhich the following is a specification,

' This invention relates to a wheel mount ing for vehicles, and is especially applicable to automobiles and vehicles in which; the. Wheels are journaled upon spindles carried by What are termed steering knuckles. that are turnably mounted in forks vformed'on the front axle ends and which in turning with the knuckles maintain a conditiQIlo'f approximate parallelism.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for inclininglthe Wheels when making a turn in the ,dlrection of the turn. Another object of the invention is to provide means for inclining the axle and the vehicle body supported thereby, when making a turn, to establish a condition similar. tothat produced by a roadbed which s inclined transversely to I the direction of travel. Further objects will hereinafter appear, V V 'The invention consists of theparts and the construction and combination of parts ashereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompany ing drawings, in which-- I Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the steering knuckles; P

Fig. 2 is a front view of same.

Fig. 3 is a central, vertical section on line 33 of Fig-,1. r

Fig. 4 is a section, similar to Fig. 3, showing a modification of the construction,

Fig. 5'is a diagrammatic front view of the front axle, showing the inclined position it assumes when making a turn. Fig. 6 isa diagrammatic plan view of the front .axle and wheels, showing theinclined position of the wheels, when making a right hand turn.

Fig. 7 is a similar view,"showing theinclined position of the wheels when making a left-hand turn.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic-view showing a relative angle of the knuckle arm to the ground line.

In .turnlng corners w1th heavy, rapidly moving vehicles, particularly automobiles,

a tendency to overturn or up-end the vehicle,

or, in other words, establishes conditions or unnecessary strains which are dangerous particularly when traveling at high speeds.

The object of the present invention is to pro;

vide means for counteracting the outward thrust or lateral strain upon the front wheels and, furthermore, to overcomev the tendency of up-en'ding or overturning the vehicle.

when turning in either direction.

Referr ng to the drawings, A represents a fixed axlesuch as is commonly: used on automobile and 2 the forks, one being formed ateach end. The forks are in this lnstance setv on an angle, as shown, andfiare designed to receive a knuckle 3 which issecured in any suitable manner, or, as here shown, by a bolt 4. Formed on one side of the knuckleis a forwardly extending arm 3? which carries the wheel spindle 5. The wheel spindle 5 is secured to the. extending arm 3*, on the knuckle 3,. forwardly of the spiral bolt and in a horizontal line with they lower fork, as in Fig. l, or below said fork, as in'Fig. 8, sothat a vertical line through the wheel would intersect the .roadbed back of the intersection of an axial line through the bolt or shaft 4, as in Fig, 8. The arm 39,-.

while extending at an acute angle from the shaft also extends horizontally therefrem .with the forward end downturned so that. the wheel spindle .lies in a plane below the arm to receive the load in .a more direct manner.

assume an approximately vertical position, but turning movement of the knuckles in one direction or the other will cause the wheels:

to incline at the top. in thedirectionof the turn. This is due to the fact that the eenters of the wheels are positioned forwardly pf the axle.

By referring to Fig. 6, which is a diagrammatic e f he front X e and: -wheels, it will be seen that the wheels are turned to make a right-hand turn. It will also be seen that the wheels incline to the T e wheels when pointing straight ahead right at the topand are, =therefcre,in:a"pcsition: td-bettercounteract the outward thrust 1 ll f r v ment-; rah m ttec1,- d e.; to

' centrifugal action, whengmaking the turn.

' will jibe seen that the wheels assume a: left-'- 'hand incline at the top. Theyare. therefore,

positioned;'practicaliy speaking; in aline Byreferring' to"Fig.'7, which is. a diagrammatic View showingv the position of' 'the' "I Wheels fwhen 'makingy'a left-hand. turn, it

;: rm'ent with the outward.,eor rlateral. thrnstl' Qcomefif nc't entirely eliminated. w

' prednced; andfthe' tendency o't'j collapsing a the spoke structure, throwing the tires,fl ')r 1 V bending @thefspind1es,""is

" fIt'is Well-known that railwayftracki bedisi an'd 'high speed, racetracks carei always in,-

practically? .oyer

- 'cIinedJ ateraIlyjvith relation to' the direction icf'travel particularlylatpoints Where turns are made, Thislincline' of the rcadbed 're- ,1

acts against-fthe centrifugaljaction oi the; mqyingbcdy and prevents overturning: of

same, when; rounding 'a' curve. A similar 'ccndition is establishedlby providing means 7 fol inclining the front axle of ItheYehicl et bedyfsuppcrted thereby. This "is taccom ff plished in the 1 present instance by forming a thread 6 upon the bolts and by forming gee knn'cllrle and wheelewhile the ax'le'endfforrns T the nut which permits the axle ,en'ds tc, The

i egrtendg theiatter haizing a trnnnicnex'ten Y sion 11 that'is 'journaledin said fork Ipart kn ucklej'will beraised and the left-hand knuckle ldw'ered', -thus 'c'ansing thehxle and- V :th e' bcdyf suppcrt'edtherby to 'b'e' inclined 0r) ,tq establish a condition similar tea. rcadbedr.

which isjinclined,laterally with relaticnltc l h neflbf. IIavel.;,.

a In Fig.1'3 it wilibe' seent'that thei-bdlt. is.

I g 2 :an internal thread ,on the, knuckles; snp

ported thereby. The-knuckles wi11,th ere- It can be seen that: if: the

wheels-are turned to the left theright-hand V "r g d y s e i'jeds n t le f rk f e j wh l'ef aireversejcondition is prodnced by the StriLG- and extended axially therethrcnghl This} permits the-axle and bodysupported therebyz i Q, V .7.7

trunnion 11 is prci ided withf a :dnct 1 2-ifer conveying;aglnbricantfrcrnasuperposed cup 3zt' illeit ree i fthe scr w s af T Viip n le lee 3, siseng ge l wi h he: h a

of the screw shaft and'has .its'upper end s'lid'ablewithin thesocket '10, The lower end of the. sileeveS is eounterbored t9 prc- 7 1 vide'a socketfl which receives an rupjward'; V

extension. 15 on bushing 16,;the latter being providedin the lofWer fork part 2 for mount-' ingLt-he lower end ofthe screw shaft.

Irwin t us e-noted the: t e n hi sleeve aand' upper fork par't 2 areas'sen1 led in, nestedfrelaticn, nof extra ip'arts are re 7 J quired; and the relatively slidablerelementsi 7;

are joined by downwiiardlyfextending ever-.1 l pp ig p r ionstq exclud th i ng o dirt and foreignimatter;-,

" Al e 'l g m kl i icn l dfisf hereJ 7 shown positively overcomes the objections; 39;

previously described, inasinuchfas it causes" the 'wheels toassnme'an lnchned'pps t on n V 7 the 'dlrect cn'fof the turn, and, furthermorgf t6 assume ian' inclined position."

' Having thus' describ 01' my; inventicng j 'I claim and desire to gsecure by'lLettersf I Patent is i" 15111 a 'wheeI mqnnting for "antoincbilesgig an, axle ha ving terminal T fork" bearings, in V cl'ined' 'backwardly from the "vertical, a spin-'7 die suppqrt journaled in each bearing, V-an; arm formed integral l with and extending 7 forwardl from] each *slippcrt at a fdoiwh- Ward and acute angle thereto tcimpesejthef ad more d tly bnl fi e pp h f ward ends of the armsbeingcurved dqwng I- ardIy and terminating jforwardly ,Ofand' in v prcximityitg I the letter .fcrk 7. part of "the f respective fqrk. bearinggfand a spindle 'pro? jec'tingiilaterally fre'm the'i idcwnturned ter mina'lfdf each; s

25111 a Wheeiinciiiitingsfdr nehicies;

axle "having inclined terin'iha'l bearings? a spindle support,jonrnaledfin each; hearing I being also disposed at an inclination, an'ar'm' port, and a1aterally xtendingwlieer on the downtnrned end fof each arm. .1 V

' (Sonic; elffliil 'pat ent nia'yhbeebteined for iivei cents each, addressing"the bdiinnissibnei' bf 7 1 EDWINl Es e'N; JR? r i 

